Agricultural activities play an important role in the economies of OIC member countries, like those of many developing countries, in terms of not only employment and production, but also socio-economic development. More than one-third of the population in OIC member countries depend for their livelihood on agriculture, hunting, fishing and forestry. The member countries collectively possess a significant portion of the world agricultural land area. Yet, agricultural development and food security in the member countries continue to face a number of persisting problems and challenges which are yet to be overcome. While agriculture is widely known to be the primary economic activity in many member countries, it turns out that the sector is contributing a modest share to the total value-added in these countries.

Furthermore, the domestic production of agricultural and food products in most OIC countries does not increase in equal pace with the increase in population and this state of affairs leads to the widening of the production/consumption gap – which, in turn, has to be bridged through an increase in dependency on imports. Moreover, inadequate rainfall coupled with other adverse climatic conditions further exacerbates the situation of food insecurity in OIC member countries. Many OIC countries have been facing severe food emergencies, making them highly vulnerable to external shocks in international food prices through, inter alia, increasing their food import bills and trade deficits, posing serious negative impacts on health and education, and consequently worsening the state of food insecurity through increasing the number of undernourished people.

In this context, the Report on the State of Agriculture and Food Security in OIC Member Countries offers a thorough analysis of the current status of agricultural production and food security in the member countries, as well as major obstacles and challenges faced by them in various areas. The Report also includes some recommendations at both national and intra-OIC cooperation levels which are aimed to serve as broad policy guidelines for the OIC member countries.

Online Electronic Version

State of Agriculture and Food Security in OIC Member Countries 2013 (English)